Scraper attachment for sponges

ABSTRACT

A scraper attachment for mounting onto sponges used in cleaning applications is described. The inventive attachment comprises a leading scraping edge, a serrated raised edge, a debris catch, finger grips and side flaps formed integrally as a single piece of material. A support rod integral a side flap of the inventive scraper attachment is pierced through the body of a sponge for securely mounting the inventive attachment on a sponge to by fastening to the opposite side flap. The inventive scraper attachment can be easily dismounted from the sponge for reuse and cleaning, and be used independently with any brand of sponge. The serrated raised edge serves to help break up stubborn deposits, while the debris catch collects the loosened material for convenient cleaning. Additionally, a liquid soap or detergent dispensing means is included to infuse liquid soap or detergent into the sponge.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to cleaning attachments, in particular, scrapingattachments, for mounting on hand-held sponges used in both householdand industrial cleaning applications, as an aid for the removal ofunintended surface deposits and films proving difficult or impossiblefor the sponge alone to remove.

BACKGROUND

Sponges have been used for many years as a tool for cleaning cookware,utensils, kitchen and bathroom surfaces, automobile surfaces, windows,floors, furniture and a myriad of other objects and surfaces. Syntheticsponges, first developed by DuPont in 1940, have since largely replacedauthentic sea sponges for household and industrial use.

Sponges are used because they are absorbent, reusable, and lightweight.However, a primary disadvantage of sponges is that by themselves,sponges are too soft and pliable to scrape away unwanted substances suchas dirt, hardened oils or grease, mildew, waxes or foods that stick andadhere to surfaces and reside in corners, grooves and crevices. Abrasivelayers do not effectively allow users to remove substances residing intight corners, grooves and crevices because neither the sponge nor theabrasive layer provide a rigid enough edge, to enable users to impartthe requisite forces necessary for scraping and removing unwantedsubstances from the tight locations and, in some cases, from flatsurfaces as well.

Several types of sponge/scraper implements have been proposed. Forexample, in U.S. Patent Application No. 2008/0216260 to Silverman etal., an integrated scraper and sponge device is disclosed. While thisinvention is an improvement upon the use of a sponge alone for removalof difficult and persistent deposits or films, it has severaldisadvantages. Namely, the disclosed scraper design does not allow foreasy grasp and use of the scraper without the sponge. Moreover, thepliable nature of the sponge make grasping the scraper portion all themore difficult for simple and effective removal of unwanted materials.The scraper portion does not include a serrated edge for breaking upstubborn material before scraping, making the use of the device moredifficult and less effective than intended. The attachment of thescraper portion to the sponge portion precludes use of the total spongesurface area, making the use of this device inconvenient. Finally, theintegral nature of the device only allows for limited reuse, being notremovable as a separate unit by the consumer, necessarily to bediscarded when the sponge discarded.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,984,527 to Georgieff discloses a scraper attachment forsponges that employs a large handle, attachable to the top surface of asponge, for facile control of the sponge and ergonomic application ofhand pressure for effective scraper action. While this device in animprovement over a sponge alone, its design is bulky, and makes accessto tight areas difficult if not impossible. The scraper portion of thedevice does not include a serrated edge, and moreover the application ofthe device precludes complete use of the sponge surface area. As withthe previous disclosure, this device only works with one type of sponge.Other examples include U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,568 to Englehardt, describinga scraper formed integrally with a sponge pad.

The consumer is faced with few choices of such devices that arecurrently available on the market, and further rebuffed by thelimitations of such devices that have been disclosed above. Proctor andGamble Company currently has at least two integrated sponge/scrapercombination products on the market, distributed by Butler Home ProductsLLC. These products are largely not reusable, difficult to hold, and oneof these products completely covers the top surface of the sponge,reducing the usable area of the sponge. A device offering totalflexibility to be used on any brand of standard kitchen sponge, orsponges intended for other uses, for all cleaning applications iscurrently not available on the market. Furthermore, the consumer cannotfind an attachment that is lightweight, easily grasped and allows forreuse of the scraper independent of the life of the sponge, andtransferable to any other sponge of similar size.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

The present invention addresses the deficiencies enumerated in theforegoing discussion, whereby the invention is a scraper attachment thatis mountable on sponges and removable therefrom, that has the qualitiesof being lightweight, ergonomic, yet small so as not to restrict thesponge's access to encumbered surfaces. In addition, the invention isreusable with any sponge of similar size.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, which includes a topsurface, bottom surface and two side flaps, a serrated scraping edge isdisposed in the front portion of the top surface of the scraperattachment to facilitate removal of hardened and/or persistent depositsor films, a debris catch disposed behind the scraping edge forcollection of loosened debris, a concave and/or dimpled or otherwisetextured surface disposed behind the debris catch as well as on eachside flap of the scraper attachment for easy grip and maneuverability.Additionally, the preferred embodiment comprises one or more supportbars or rods that are affixed to the interior face of one of either sideflap for piercing entirely through the body of the sponge to penetratethrough to the opposite side, whereby the protruding tip of the bar issecured by a clasping or clip fastener integral with the interior faceof the opposite side flap. In this manner, the inventive scraperattachment can be securely but reversibly affixed on the body of thesponge, allowing facile hand manipulation of the sponge, while at thesame time providing a rigid and ergonomic scraping tool for enhancedcleaning of surfaces or objects. In a second embodiment described, asoap reservoir for containing liquid soaps or detergents is included,having a dispensing tube attached to modified support bars that have ahollow center and a plurality of apertures disposed along the shaftthrough which liquid soaps or detergents can be infused into theinterior of the body of the attached sponge by simple squeezing of thesoap reservoir.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 a. Isometric top view of the invention.

FIG. 1 b. Isometric bottom view of the invention.

FIG. 2 a. Front view of the invention.

FIG. 2 b Side view of the invention.

FIG. 2 c. Top plan view of the invention.

FIG. 3. Second embodiment of the invention, bottom angled view detailinga second support bar.

FIG. 4. Third embodiment of the invention, bottom angled view detailinga soap reservoir, dispensing tube and perforated support bar fordispensing soap within the body of a sponge, integral with the body ofthe inventive scraper attachment.

FIG. 5. Demonstrational view of the invention mounted on a sponge.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is directed to a scraper attachment adapted forscraping and removing unwanted substances such as dirt, hardened oilsand grease, mildew, waxes, stuck-on foods, or like substances thatadhere to surfaces and reside in corners, grooves holes and crevices.

Referring to FIG. 1 a, a top view of the inventive scraper attachment isshown. The planar main body 10 of the inventive scraper attachmentcomprises, smooth tip portion that coincides with the leading edge 12 ofthe scraper attachment extending outwardly and defining at least oneedge and a depressible surface to which forces are applied to manipulatethe scraper. A debris catch 14 is disposed behind the leading edge ofthe scraper attachment, and comprises a concavely contoured surface thatserves for the collection of scraped materials to build up within it foreasier disposal. In one embodiment, debris catch 14 comprises aconcavely sloping surface, sweeping up from leading edge 12 to terminateat a raised edge 16 that rises out of the plane of the main body. In theparticular embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 a, raised edge 16 forms aarc-shaped crest extending over the plane of the main body 10 from oneside to the other. However, it is understood that the embodimentdepicted in FIG. 1 a is illustrative, and other geometrical shapes ofdebris catch 14 and raised edge 16 are conceivable. In the preferredembodiment, raised edge 16 is serrated for more effective scrapingaction, and is useful for particularly stubborn deposits.

The serrated raised edge 16 has less contact area than a smooth edge,therefore any applied force is greater at each tooth of the serrationthan the average force applied. The sharp angles of the tooth edgesprovide a cutting action when the scraper is thrust forward; typicalscraping action involves a back-and-forth motion or circular motionwherein the forward component of the movement provides the scrapingaction. The cutting action of the serrated edge involves many smallsplits in the surface of the material being cut, which cumulativelyserve to cut the material along the line of the serrated edge. Once thematerial is broken up in such a manner there are fewer points ofresistance, subsequently less force is needed to fully remove unwantedmaterial by means of the leading edge of the inventive scraperattachment.

Front finger grip 18 is disposed behind the raised edge 16 and isprovided to receive at least a portion of a human finger tip, ormultiple human finger tips. Front finger grip 18 acts as a stable pointfrom which to gain leverage for the forward and reversemovement/scraping action and may have dimples, ripples, indentations orother such imprints for making gripping the surface easier.

Side flaps 20 and 22 are joined to and hingedly articulate with the rearportion 24 of the main body 10 of the inventive scraper attachment bymeans of bendable edges joining the side flaps 20 and 22 and the mainscraper body 10. Side flaps 20 and 22 are normally folded at asubstantially perpendicular angle to the plane of the main scraper bodyto gird and secure the sponge (see below). In FIGS. 1 a and 1 b, sideflap 20 is shown in partially unfolded position. Side finger grips 26and 28 are respectively disposed substantially towards the rear portionof the outer surfaces of side flaps 20 and 22. Both of the side fingergrips 26 and 28 are contoured for receiving at least a portion of ahuman fingertip, or multiple fingertips. The two side finger grips acttogether as stable points from which to obtain a firm and stable graspallowing energy to be exerted toward leverage during scraping ratherthan toward stabilizing the sponge body.

Referring now to FIG. 1 b, support bar/rod 30 is integrally affixed onthe inner surface of side flap 20 at its proximal end 32. When sideflaps 20 and 22 are folded at substantially a 90° angle to the plane ofmain scraper body 10, support bar/rod 30 extends from the inner surfaceof side flap 20 to the inner surface of side flap 22, where it is met bya engaging means for securely fastening the distal end of bar/rod 30 toside flap 22. The axis of support bar/rod 30 is substantially parallelto leading edge 12 and the plane of the main scraper body 10. In thisdisposition, support bar/rod 30 functions as a truss to form astructurally sturdy attachment that girds a sponge. The distal end 34 ofsupport bar/rod 30 is tapered, and can take on, but not be limited to, astylus shape, while the body of support bar/rod is substantially smoothfor facile piercing of and penetration through the body of the sponge,preferably through the width dimension, to secure it to the attachment(see below). The cross section of the body of support bar/rod 30 canrange from cylindrical, as in the preferred embodiment, to a flat,blade-like shape.

The support bar/rod receiving means 36 is integral with side flap 20 andcan take on the form of a clip having a depression for insertion of thedistal end henceforth referred to as the tip 34 of support bar/rod 30.Receiving means 36 can also attach by means of a latch or hook and latchmechanism. In the preferred embodiment, receiving means 36 can be amolded plastic part formed with the scraper body as a single piece byplastic injection molding, or can be a separately formed from (but notlimited to) rubber, plastic, composite, metal or any combinationthereof.

Sponge stop 38 is a plastic plate located in front of the supportbar/rod and is used as a guide for proper placement of the sponge on thescraper attachment. Sponge stop 38 also acts as a second solid point tohold the sponge in place.

The inventive scraper attachment has the ability to be attached to asponge or any surface that is appropriate for its purpose of cleaning,scrubbing and removing any unwanted substance from any surface.

In FIG. 2 a, a frontal view of the inventive scraper attachment 10 isshown to provide a view of the relief of the side grips 26 and 28disposed on the outer portions of side flaps 20 and 22 bent at 90°angles with respect to the plane of the main scraper body. Debris catch14 is also shown in greater detail delineated by the arc-shaped raisedserrated edge 16. FIG. 2 b shows a side view of the inventive scraperattachment 10 with side flap 20 in the clipped 90° angle configuration.FIG. 2 c provides a top view of the inventive scraper body 10, featuringa full view of the front finger grip 18.

In FIG. 3, a further embodiment of the invention is shown, a secondsupport bar/rod 40 is affixed to side flap 20 in proximity to firstsupport bar/rod 30, and a second receiving means 42 is disposed on theinner surface of slide flap 22 in the proximity of first receiving means36. Support bar/rod 40 can be identical in shape and dimensions tobar/rod 30, but also can have a different shape, diameter, taper,material and other characteristics than first support bar/rod 30. As anexample, second support bar/rod 40 can have a smaller diameter thanfirst support bar/rod 30, and/or have a more tapered profile. The sameis equally applies to second receiving means 42, whereby secondreceiving means 42 can be identical to first receiving means 36, but canalso embody a different design and/or type than first receiving means36. For example, second receiving means 42 can embody a clip that issmaller relative to first receiving means 36, to accommodate, forexample, a narrower second support bar/rod tip.

In FIG. 4, a further embodiment of the invention is shown, wherein asoap dispensing means comprising a soap reservoir 44 for containingliquid soap, and dispensing tube 46 to transfer liquid soap to one orboth of the support bar/rods 30 and 40 is included. Soap dispensingreservoir 44 further comprises a semi-rigid hollow sac, container orvessel of appropriate dimensions, preferably of molded deformableplastic material, and can be substantially rectangular, cylindrical,spherical, or take on a combination of shapes to form a suitablestructure that can be integrated with the main scraper body 10. In thepreferred embodiment, soap reservoir 44 is affixed to main scraper body10, preferably integrally formed with the bottom surface, and preferablydisposed between the front edge 12 of the main scraper body 10 andsponge stop 38. However, soap reservoir 44 can also be disposed alongthe top surface of main scraper body 10, for example along rear portion24. Dispensing tube 46, having a first end 48 and a second end 50, isintegral to and in fluidic communication with soap reservoir 44 at thefirst end 48. Dispensing tube 46 may be formed integrally with the mainscraper body 10. The second end 50 of dispensing tube 46 is attached toat least one of support bar/rods 30 and/or 40. In this embodiment,support bar/rods 30 and/or 40 have a hollow center and possess aplurality of dispensing apertures 52 disposed on the shaft portion,through which liquid soap can be infused into the sponge body. Soapreservoir 44 and dispensing tube 46 are preferably made from, but notlimited to, a deformable molded plastic material, preferably integrallyformed by injection molding with the main scraper body 10. Dispensingtube 46 can be disposed along the junction between the plane of mainscraper body 10 on its top or bottom, and be partially disposed alongone of the two side flaps 20 and 22 wherein first end of support bar 32is attached to form a fluid connection with support bar 30.

Finally, the inventive scraper attachment 10 is shown fixedly secured toa sponge in FIG. 5. Hidden lines depict the support bar/rod embedded inthe body of the sponge when the attachment 10 is mounted on the spongeand support bar/rod 30 is secured by receiving means 36. The method ofconjoining the sponge and scraper attachment may be accomplished bymeans of piercing the sponge with the support bar/rod 30 and securing itto receiving means 36. This process is simple and may be done by theuser with ease. The user does not have to glue or reattach the scraperin any strenuous manner; therefore the sponge will not be damaged. Allsurfaces of the sponge can be utilized. The sponge being made from apliable and manipulative material is able to accept the support bar andassume its natural shape and ability to perform as usual. The scraperattachment may be made from numerous materials such as natural rubber,synthetic rubber, plastics, polymers, wood, metal or any combinationthereof. The scraper attachment is not limited in the regard, and anyappropriate scraper material that is currently known or later becomesused. For improved manipulation and scraping, the depressible surface 18(FIG. 1 a) is contoured in a concave-like manner and, depending on thesize, is adapted for receiving at least a portion of: (I) a humanfingertip, (II) multiple human fingertips, (III) a human hand or (IV)two human hands, for applying pressure and manipulating the scraper.

Having thus described the scraper attachment, attention will now bedrawn to an example of its use.

With the scraper attachment fixedly secured onto any household sponge,and/or the desired object or surface for cleaning prepared with soap,cleaning liquids, cleaning powders or the like, the user places thesponge body in contact with said object or surface. The user thenpresses on the contoured depressible surface 14 (FIG. 1 a) therebyimparting downward pressure on the scraper edge 12 (FIG. 1 a).

The serrated edge 16 (FIG. 1 a) is an additional feature that allows foradded ease in removing stubborn material. In another embodiment, liquidsoaps or detergents can be infused into the interior of the body of theattached sponge by squeezing action on soap reservoir 44 to force liquidsoap or detergent from soap reservoir 44 into the hollow center of oneor more support bar/rods 30 and 40, and out into the sponge interiorthrough the plurality of dispensing apertures 52.

With pressure applied, the scraper attachment is moved into position forcontacting and scraping unwanted substances in a desired location. Whilemaintaining the applied pressure, the user can grasp onto the providedfinger grips provided by front finger grip(s) 18, and side finger grips26 and 28 (FIGS. 1 a and 1 b) and scrape stubborn material off in, forexample, a forward or reciprocating motion to effectively scrape awayand remove the unwanted substance. When finished, the scraper attachmentmay be easily removed by simply unfastening support bar/rod 30 (FIG. 1b) and pulling it out of the sponge body. No glues or adhesives areinvolved. Both the sponge and scraper may be washed and sanitized forreuse. Further, the scraper attachment can be used in a dry statewithout the addition of water, soap, cleaning liquids, cleaning powders,or the like.

The inventive scraper attachment may be used in a variety ofapplications that may dictate the size, shape and configuration of thesize of the attachment. For example, small size scraper attachments maybe used to clean pots, pans and small containers, while larger scraperattachments can be used to clean larger surfaces or objects, such asautomobiles. Furthermore, specific shapes and configurations may beimplemented for use in specific environments such as, for example, carinteriors and exteriors, sinks, stoves, bathtubs, toilets, windows,furniture, and countless other applications where sponges can be usedfor cleaning.

In view of the embodiments disclosed above and their various aspects, itwill be appreciated that the detailed description of the variousembodiments are illustrative only and are by no means to be construed aslimiting the scope and spirit of the invention. Rather, we claim as ourinvention all such embodiments as may come within the scope and spiritof the invention as expressed in the claims that follow, and equivalentsthereto.

1. A scraper attachment for a sponge, comprising: (i) A main scraperbody having a top surface and a planar bottom surface for mounting on aflat surface of a sponge, front and rear edges, two side edges disposedsubstantially perpendicular to the front and rear edges and to which afirst flap and a second flap are hingedly and integrally affixed andthereby bendably articulate with the main scraper body, each flap havingan outward and an inner surface; (ii) A raised surface section integralwith the main scraper body and extending above the top surface of themain scraper body and disposed along said top surface rearward of thefront edge, said raised surface section having a serrated front edge anda depressible portion extending rearward of the serrated front edge;(iii) At least one depression disposed on the outward surface of each ofsaid side flaps comprising the side finger grips, the at least onedepression being disposed substantially near the rearward portion of theflap surfaces and being of sufficient size to receive at least a portionof a human finger tip; (iv) At least one substantially rigid elongatebar for piercing and penetrating through both sides of the sponge bodyto securely affix the scraper to the sponge, said at least one elongatebar having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end affixed tothe inner surface the first flap in such a way that the axis of the atleast one elongate bar extends perpendicularly from the inner surface ofthe first side flap to the inner surface of the second side flap whenboth side flaps are bent to form substantially right angles with thebottom surface plane of the main scraper body; (v) At least onereceiving means disposed on the inner surface of the second flap andintegral therewith for receiving the distal end of said at least oneelongate bar and securely fastening the distal end of said at least oneelongate bar to the inner surface of said second flap in such a way soas to form a fixed configuration of the side flaps bent at substantiallyright angles with respect to the bottom surface plane; and (vi) A rigidedge disposed along and integral with the bottom surface of the mainscraper body and extending perpendicularly therefrom, said rigid edgeextending between both side edges and substantially perpendicularthereto, being disposed substantially forward of the elongate bar. 2.The scraper attachment of claim 1, wherein the body of the at least onerigid elongate bar comprises a wall surrounding a hollow center and hasperforations disposed along its shaft, said perforations extending fromthe exterior surface of the wall to the interior surface of the wall, insuch a way that the perforations are apertures through the wall.
 3. Thescraper attachment of claim 1, further comprising a container forcontaining a liquid soap or detergent disposed along and integral withthe main scraper body, whereby a dispensing tube having a first endconnected to and in fluid communication with the container and a secondend connected to and in fluid communication with the at least one rigidelongate bar.
 4. The scraper attachment of claim 3, wherein thecontainer for containing a liquid soap or detergent is disposed alongthe bottom surface of the main scraper body between the front edge ofthe main scraper body and the rigid edge.
 5. The scraper attachment ofclaim 3, wherein the container for containing a liquid soap or detergentis disposed along the top surface of the main scraper body between therear edge of the main scraper body and the raised surface.
 6. Thescraper attachment of claim 1, wherein the raised surface sectionextends forward to the front edge of the main scraper body forming aconcave slope between the front edge of the main scraper body and theserrated edge of the raised surface section whereby the concave slopedescends towards the front edge of the main scraper body.
 7. The scraperattachment of claim 1, wherein the raised surface section forms anabrupt angle with the top surface of the scraper main body.
 8. Thescraper attachment of claim 1, wherein at least part of the depressibleportion of the raised surface section is contoured to form one or moredepressions for receiving one or more human fingertips, said depressionscomprising the top finger grips.
 9. The scraper attachment of claim 1,wherein the depressible portion of the raised surface section iscontoured to receive a human hand.
 10. The scraper attachment of claim1, wherein the at least one rigid elongate bar has a cylindrical rodshape, whereby the distal end of the at least one elongate bar istapered to form a stylus tip.
 11. The at least one elongate bar of claim10, wherein the at least one elongate bar is manufactured from apolymer, wood or metal.
 12. The scraper attachment of claim 1, whereinthe at least one elongate bar comprises two elongate bars.
 13. Thescraper attachment of claim 1, wherein the at least one receiving meansdisposed on the inner surface of the second flap is selected from thegroup consisting of a clip, a latch and a hook.
 14. The scraperattachment of claim 1, wherein the rigid edge disposed along the bottomsurface of the main scraper body consists of a rectangular panel andwherein the width and height dimensions of said panel are substantiallygreater than the depth dimension.
 15. The scraper attachment of claim 1,wherein the rigid edge disposed along the bottom surface of the mainscraper body consists of the rearward facing side edge of a rectangularbar disposed along the front portion of the bottom surface of the mainscraper body and integrally affixed thereto.
 16. The scraper attachmentof claim 1, wherein the scraper attachment is integrally manufactured byinjection molding or embossing of a thermoplastic material.
 17. A methodof using the scraper attachment of claim 1, comprising the steps of: (i)Aligning the front edge of a sponge to the rigid edge disposed on thebottom surface of the main scraper body; (ii) Piercing one side of thesponge and penetrating therethrough with the at least one elongate barto extend through the opposite side of said sponge; (iii) Bending bothof the side flaps to form substantially right angles to the planarbottom surface of the main scraper body whereby the planar bottomsurface of the main scraper body is parallel to and in intimate contactwith the top surface of the sponge; (iv) Securely fastening the secondend of the elongate bar to the receiving means, thereby affixing thescraper attachment securely to the sponge; (v) Grasping the scraperattachment with one hand by engaging the top finger grips with at leastone digit and engaging the side finger grips with at least one of theremaining digits of the one hand on each side flap; (vi) Contacting thesponge body with a cleanable surface and applying pressure to thedepressible surface and imparting downward pressure on the front edge ofthe main scraper body; and (vii) Moving the scraper attachment to adesired location on the cleanable surface, then moving the scraperattachment in a forward or reciprocal motion to scrape away an unwantedsubstance.
 18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step ofsqueezing the container for containing a liquid soap or detergent asclaimed in claim 3 to dispense the liquid soap or detergent into thebody of the secured sponge through the apertures in the at least onerigid elongate bar.